My Quest to Find the Best Loaded Fries in Town

This year was my first time writing for Best of HONOLULU, which is an awesome responsibility. One topic was particularly awesome: Best Loaded Fries. I am a fry fan, but I couldn’t possibly eat every loaded fries on the island, so I did a lot of research.

This was about ultra loaded options. There would no be no standard, run-of-the-mill fare with basic toppings like minced garlic, bacon bits or carne asada. I started by canvasing our resident foodies at Frolic and HONOLULU Magazine, plus friends and family, and combined those suggestions with my own eating experiences and a ton of online research. That got me a good working list.

I made sure I was hungry and began my quest. My criteria:

• Were the fries good on their own? Loaded toppings on junk fries is a sad end of story.
• Were there enough toppings to eat with all the fries?
• Good value for money?
• The bottom line: Were they seriously good?

After much carb consumption and deliberation, these were my Top 3.

No. 3: Smashed Hawai‘i

Smashed-Style Fries, $10

If you’ve seen the bright pink trailer in a parking lot on Sheridan Street, that’s Smashed Hawai‘i. There’s no onsite seating the day I go, so I take my fries to a table at the nearby 808 Center and buy a drink.

This is the smallest portion but also the cheapest of my Top 3. The fries, still warm, are topped with a smashed burger patty, American cheese, grilled onions and a ton of Smashed Hawai‘i’s house sauce.

SEE ALSO: Smashed Is Back and Slinging Up Burgers on Sheridan Street

They’re definitely sit-down-and-eat fries. I cut up the patty with the thoughtfully provided fork and knife and mix the whole thing up. The cheese melts onto the crispy smash patty, and with the grilled onions, it’s like taking the best part of a smash burger and plopping it onto a new carb platform. Super tasty combo.

The fries are classic golden and skinny with a light spice. The ratio, though, is off: When the toppings are gone, I’m left with about a quarter of the fries, and after about 15 minutes, they’ve gone dry and stiff. Best to enjoy these as fresh as possible.

Wednesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., 824 Sheridan St., @smashedhawaii

No. 2: Jolene’s Market

Louisiana Fries, $15

The Louisiana melt is my go-to here, so I’m excited to try the Louisiana Fries. These waffle fries are topped with crawfish, garlic butter sauce, the house creamy sauce and cilantro, served with lemon wedges to squeeze over it all.

The crispy lattice makes a perfect raft for the crawfish to sail right into my mouth. The creamy sauce is so yummy, the crawfish tender and savory. There isn’t enough crawfish to go with every last fry, but the sauce makes up for it. Plus the extra crunchy bits at the bottom are great to munch on.

These loaded fries are so dense and decadent that I eventually get tired of eating them. Best to share.

Multiple locations, joleneshawaii.com, @joleneshawaii

Note: Jolene’s closed its Chinatown location in July; its other locations in Kāne‘ohe, ‘Ewa Beach and near the airport remain open.

No. 1: Pit Stop Hawai‘i

Kālua Pork Fries, $16

This blink-and-miss-it food truck is parked snugly between buildings on Kūhiō Avenue a couple blocks down from International Market Place. Next to it is an indoor, air-conditioned seating area that’s pet-friendly. Though Pit Stop is known for its tacos and burgers, a section of the menu lists loaded fries, including Four Cheese and Bacon Cheddar Cheese. I’m here for the Kālua Pork fries.

If $16 seems like a lot, these fries fill up a loaded half-size takeout clamshell. A generous layer of thinly shredded kālua pork is crisped on some parts, moist in others, and finished with a delicious guava barbecue sauce. The cheese melts in and gets a bit lost amid the other toppings. It’s the fries that are the true gems here—well-salted, cut chunky and so crisp from double-frying.

This is a whole meal and then some. The leftovers make for a tasty snack a couple hours later, and the fries are still crispy! Not to mention so filling that I skip dinner.

Taste, value, fullness factor: These are the Best Loaded Fries in Honolulu. No easy parking options, but if you’re in Waikīkī, grab these fries—you won’t regret it.

Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday noon to 8 p.m., 2411 Kūhiō Ave., pitstophawaii.com, @pitstophawaii